Somaya's Quote of the Week: September 30,2013

“I was too scared to open my eyes. It was the logic of a child; if you don't open your eyes, the monster won't see you.” 
― Kathleen Peacock, Hemlock

OMG!!! This book is just astonishing. Still not done with it though. However I am in the middle, the juicy parts. I must finish and when I am done I will do a review. I think I have an idea of the next book of the month (hint, hint :D)

Nick's Quote of the Week – September 29, 2013

• "Careless talk costs lives."

– Various characters, Code Name Verity and its companion Rose Under Fire

These two books take place in Europe during World War II—and when you're fighting a war, secrets are essential. So careless talk does cost lives.

I'm reading Rose Under Fire right now; it's so good!! I have to get back to it, so bye!

— Nick

Update!

I know that September was a busy month for sure. But we have a lot to look forward to after the first month of the school year for students and the end of summer for everyone.

I have been on Instagram and Facebook and I'm getting many things that we should hope for that will be coming. In this post, the following topics will be discussed (isn't necessarily in order):

• The Fault in Our Stars movie is being filmed
• The City of Ashes movie is postponed
• Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them  is being filmed
• The House of Hades release
• Allegiant book leaked

First up is The House of Hades. I know I did a post on this before, but just because there's only 9 days left until it is released! I have already pre-ordered it, but for those who didn't I would say to just drive your car to the local bookstore. 

The City of Ashes movie has been postponed for filming. I have found a post off Instagram with news about the movie update. CoB had a bad debut for the whole series. This is to add that Sony found the script of CoA to be lacking and has cut the fund in half. Unless the movie has a good film script, the movie should start filming in 2014 and released in 2015. You can read more on it at Google or click here. 

The Fault in Our Stars has started to film and John Green is really excited with it. You can tell with his "vlogbrothers" posts on YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. He's really into the movie set to. Go check out the following video of the TFIOS set. 

Tell me if you're happy with the cast. Shailene Woodley (Hazel Grace) --who is also playing Tris in Divergent-- and Ansel Elgort (Augustus Waters) --Caleb from Divergent. That might be a little weird going from siblings to lovers in this movie.

Just mentioning, did you notice, John Green always brushing his hair back? I did!

Anyways, next topic: Allegiant book leak. Veronica Roth has said on her Goodreads account that some Allegiant books had had an issue with shipping and some mistakes were made resulting in some readers recieving their books before 10-22. This happened in Canada and Roth wasn't really thrilled about this because she says that she was waiting for the day when the last book in the trilogy would be released. I'm guessing that's not going to happen now. Let's just hope those people who have gotten the book don't spoil it for the rest of us on the internet. Read more about the issue clicking here. If you couldn't get to the webpage, just copy and paste this to your browser or click on it. http://www.goodreads.com/author_blog_posts/4930806-about-that-allegiant-leak

It's getting late. I'm pretty sure all the Potterheads know that a new movie will be based on Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them. It isn't an adventure based on Harry, but it's his wizarding world is it not. Warner Bros. and Jo (J.K. Rowling) are partnering up for this movie as Jo is writing the screen play script. I'm sure this is going to turn out well. Read more about it on Google. 

That's it for the Update and bye!

Signed,

Ivy

Ivy's Quote of the Week- September 28, 2013

"Even if I were small, I was used to getting my three meals at home. I needed food." 

 -America Singer, The Selection, written by Kiera Cass

I liked this quote because personally, there's no need to starve yourself and I love food. Please, I'm not telling you to become obese, just eat a fair amount of food and exercise.

I found this quote while reading The Selection and I have to start writing a review for it's sequel.

Anyways, you guys will get a new post sometime soon.

Signed,
Ivy

Book Review: The Fault in Our Stars

This is me sitting in math class after taking a test and supposedly reading. But I can't. Because I just finished The Fault in Our Stars by John Green. 

I'm frustrated with the ending. It just ends. It's not like Anna's story in "An Imperial Affliction". It isn't mid sentence and then death. It isn't a diary entry. Those few words at the end of the page just severs ties. They keep me flipping the page wanting there to be more words. But that, my dear readers, is impossible.  I don't want a list of acknowledgements.  I want more writing by John Green! 

The world isn't a wish granting factory. Those damn words put together couldn't be more true. I'm getting sidetracked.

Summary: Despite the tumor-shrinking medical miracle that has bought her a few years, Hazel has never been anything but terminal, her final chapter inscribed upon diagnosis. But when a gorgeous plot twist named Augustus Waters suddenly appears at Cancer Kid Support Group, Hazel's story is about to be completely rewritten.

Hazel is an amazing character to follow. She does all of these crazy little things, like traveling with Augustus Waters just after she's met him a few days ago.

Is it even possible to fall in love with someone in such a short period of time and make it feel like a small infinity in the limit you have to live?

John Green had me turning the page every minute. Once I get lost in a book, that's where I'll stay for the rest of the afternoon.

It's a beautifully written piece of future classic literature. Even without being a series, it has a huge fandom. It has me laughing, crying and feeling every emotion possible in the 313 pages that it conquers.

Hazel Grace covers the deepest thoughts possible. She looks at everything with a great perspective. There are eloquent quotes throughout the whole book that I want to jot down.

The only problem that I have with this book is that it's flawless. I can't even begin to imagine how I could have lived ignoring such a great book. I'm not even emphasising when I say that it changes your point of view of the-thing-that-isn't-a-wish-granting-factory.

John Green has a clear understanding of what it's like to be ill.

We live in Hazel's life as we read TFiOS. She never wanted to hurt anyone and never longed to leave a permanent mark on the world to have people remember her. She just wanted to live out the rest of her days. 

This book combines humor, romance, and tragedy in the best way that I've ever read. (That's why it got me crying in the bathroom stall of some fancy restaurant just yesterday. Read the book. I promise it isn't going to do any harm. If anything, it makes your life better, AND THEN TEARS YOUR HEART INTO PIECES.

Overall: 9.99/10

Signed,
Ivy

Somaya's Quote of the Week- September 23, 2013

“I'm in love with you," he said quietly.

"Augustus," I said.

"I am," he said. He was staring at me, and I could see the corners of his eyes crinkling. "I'm in love with you, and I'm not in the business of denying myself the simple pleasure of saying true things. I'm in love with you, and I know that love is just a shout into the void, and that oblivion is inevitable, and that we're all doomed and that there will come a day when all our labor has been returned to dust, and I know the sun will swallow the only earth we'll ever have, and I am in love with you.” 

― John Green, The Fault in Our Stars

I love this part in the book. Unfortunately, I still didn't finish. I have been so busy. Its not even funny. Anyways, ENJOY!! :D

Nick's Quote of the Week – September 22, 2013

• "As he read, I fell in love the way you fall asleep; Slowly, and then all at once."

– Hazel Grace Lancaster, The Fault in Our Stars by John Green

Even though I'm not reading TFiOS right now, why not have three QOTDs from it in a row? One of the cool things about this quote is that it's actually a homage to Ernest Hemingway! Hemingway once described going bankrupt as "Gradually, and then suddenly." Cool, right?

– Nick

Ivy's Quote of the Week- September 21th, 2013

"Lonely, Vaguely Pedophilic Swing Set Seeks the Butts of Children"
-Hazel Grace Lancaster, The Fault in Our Stars, written by John Green

Well, something to humor you. This must be a famous quote.

Hazel and Augustus were writing an ad for Hazel to give away a swing set in her backyard and this is what Hazel thought would work. Well would you want the seeing set with this as the title?

I'm sorry for not posting earlier. But better late than never right?

Signed,

Ivy

Hunger – Book Review

Hunger is the second book in the Gone series. Both it and its prequel (also named Gone) are very spoiler-y, so this is not going to be very extensive.

Hunger starts off three weeks after the end of Gone. In Perdido Beach, both Sam and Lana get constantly frustrated when townies constantly ask their help for irrelevant things. Being leader is wearing on Sam. There are a lot of moral decisions he has to make. For example, what is he supposed to do when ten year-olds start smoking cigarettes? Lana, understandably, is sick of being asked about things like loose teeth, so she moves out of the town and into Clifftop. At Coates, the Darkness has driven Caine crazy. After a few weeks, he recovers, and starts his new plan: to take over te power plant and shut off Perdido Beach's electricity.

Before I get into specifics, I want to say that Hunger is a very dark book. There's a lot of death and misery and not-nice stuff.

Spoilers begin.

The thing I really have to complain about is the fact that nobody actually dies. Diana, Dekka, and Edilio are all 99% dead, BUT NO. Lana comes and saves the day. I like Lana, but the author is turing her into "The Healer" and not showing her as an actual character. That's a shame. The only good thing about the author's reluctance to kill people is Brittney. The thing about her not dying at all is mega creepy. I want to read more about that.

Spoilers end.

In the end, Hunter fell into a lot of traps of being a sequel. It wasn't as good as Gone, but I am still really interested in Lies.

Final score: 8.9 out of 10

Just a note: From now on I'll be writing at the bottom of all my reviews what I'll be reviewing next. Right now it'll be City of Ashes or The 100.

— Nick

Somaya's Quote of the Week- September 20, 2013

“That's the thing about pain," Augustus said, and then glanced back at me. "It demands to be felt” 
----The Fault in our Stars by John Green

Hey guys, sorry I was late. Nick and I got confused. So this is an amazing quote from the amazing and upsetting book The Fault in our Stars.

- Somaya

Nick's Quote of the Week – September 19, 2013

Sorry, I totally forgot to do this Sunday. Better 4 days late then never!! :P

• "I want the audience to recognize you when you're in the arena," says Cinna dreamily. "Katniss, the girl who was on fire."

It crosses my mind that Cinna's calm and normal demeanor masks a complete madman.

 — The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

I was just scrolling through THG quotes at Wikiquote, and this quote really stood out to me. Cinna was kind of a madman, right?

P.S. Today's Hermione Granger's birthday!!

 – Nick

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Ivy's Quote of the Week

So I kinda was late updating. Anyways, here's the quote:

"You put the killing thing right between your teeth, but you don't give it the power to do its killing."

-Augustus Waters, The Fault in Our Stars, written by John Green

The "killing thing" that Augustus mentions is a cigarette. Before he gives his mini-speech, Hazel criticizes him and says he ruined the image of being somewhat along the lines of a perfect guy.

Need to sleep, school tomorrow!

Signed,
Ivy

Book Review: The Selection

I finished The Selection  today in the morning. I think the book was better getting towards the middle, but then kinda dropped at the end. Fortunately for us, the book continues to The Elite  as a sequel.


 You know the drill, summary first.

Summary:  For thirty-five girls, the Selection is the chance of a lifetime. The opportunity to escape the life laid out for them since birth. To be swept up in a world of glittering gowns and priceless jewels. To live in a palace and compete for the heart of gorgeous Prince Maxon.

But for America Singer, being Selected is a nightmare. It means turning her back on her secret love with Aspen, who is a caste below her. Leaving her home to enter a fierce competition for a crown she doesn't want. Living in a palace that is constantly threatened by violent rebel attacks.

Then America meets Prince Maxon. Gradually, she starts to question all the plans she's made for herself—and realizes that the life she's always dreamed of may not compare to a future she never imagined. 

Well what do you think? The book was a nice read with 327 pages. 

The following paragraph contains SPOILERS! Read at your own expense.

The beginning focused on America Singer and Aspen Ledger. It was a perfect little universe and knowing most books, they break up a ship that you don't get to know yet. 

I felt how heartbroken America was when Aspen broke it off with her. And being very emotional, I cried, just a little. The good thing for America was that she got to go to the castle for the Selection. Being upgraded to a Three and making some friends at the palace, she meets Maxon when she felt homesick in the corridors. They have this funny thing with Maxon not calling America "my dear". 

I started to like Maxon and America together. But major PLOT TWIST... Aspen is back. And it's hard to choose between the guy you dated for two years that dumped you and still likes you to the guy that provided a sanctuary for you to mend your heart. Being America, she tries to keep Aspen safe and her family well.

I think it was when America started to cheat on Maxon that I didn't quite like her. I knew she felt guilt, but she also enjoyed Aspen's company quite a lot. 

End of SPOILERS, you may read now.

America treats her maids as very important people and confidants. It's like finding a good friend. There is also America's younger sister, May, a very perky girl. You'll like her letters to her older sister. 

There were many rebel attacks at the palace, that you will read about if you choose to pick up the book and the prince will have to choose very soon who will be continuing on in the Selection as the Elite. 

The novel faces the many truths of parents, hiding a secret, being sad, and loving a person (or two). You can have to read the book through America's point of view and her way of seeing the world. And Keira Cass does a great job of showing us that the luxurious life that we wanted might not always be the best.

It's the character's decisions that you judge them on. I think by the end of the book, you'll want to read more to know who America ends up with and who wins as an Elite.

Overall: 7.8/10

It didn't totally satisfy me, but it was good enough to make me start reading The Elite. 

Signed,

Ivy

City of Ashes – Book Review

This blog has been pretty inactive lately. Sorry for that! We've all been really busy, and I actually finished this a few days ago but am just getting to this review now. We'll try to blog more once our first week of school is over. Now, for the review:

*NOTE: The date says September 11 but this was really published September 13. Blogging problems!!!!!*

One of the main things about City of Ashes is that it doesn't have a very solid plotline. The story kind of meanders around, with less focus on action and more focus on the politics of the Shadowhunters and the Clave. That's not bad, but it was different from City of Bones. Strangely, that philosophy seems to be thrown out the window at the end, when the book ends with a strangely placed (but still awesome) battle. It also sets up City of Glass nicely. Aaah I can't wait for it to arrive at my library branch!!

Spoilers in the following paragraph.

Another thing of note is that this book addressed something lacking from City of Bones: what makes Clary special. Other than being Valentine's daughter, what is there that separates Clary from other Shadowhunters? Most good sci-fi/fantasy books have something that distinguishes the character apart: Harry Potter and Percy Jackson each had prophecies about the title characters, Divergent's Tris was Divergent, His Dark Materials's Lyra could read the golden compass, etc. City of Bones didn't really have that with Clary. In City of Ashes, it's revealed that Clary can create new runes, which is both incredibly awesome and very useful. It also gives the character something that separates her from other Shadowhunters.

Spoilers over.

In conclusion, City of Ashes was not what I was expecting. Sometimes that was good, sometimes that was bad.

Final score: 8.9 out of 10

***News***

The production date for the City of Ashes movie has been pushed back indefinitely. Cassandra Clare says it's because they're rewriting the script. You probably should take that with a grain of salt, though, considering City of Bones's awful performance in movie theaters. (Note that when I said a few weeks ago that a movie needed to double its budget to be a hit, I was wrong. It needs to double its budget to be profitable, because studios only receive half of the revenue from movie tickets–theaters receive the other half. As of 9/13/13, City of Bones has only made $66 million.) City of Ashes's chances could be seriously hurt by CoB, so this delay can't be good news. Read more here: http://www.hypable.com/2013/09/13/cassandra-clare-city-of-ashes-movie-delayed-canceled-response/

 – Nick

Somaya's Quote of the Week- September 6, 2013

•  I peered through the opening in the closet. Mary held Jamie's hand as guards grabbed them both. She risked a single, meaningful glance over her shoulder, as though willing me to understand.                

She wanted me to escape.      

                                                                                                           

"Where's the other one? Your sister?" the guard yelled at Mary, but she said nothing. "Search the room." he ordered.             

The young man moved toward the closet, opening the door. He stopped as we stared at each other.    "It's empty." he called out a moment later, his green eyes gleaming. And then he closed the closet door, leaving me surrounded by blackness once more.

This is from The Last Princess. Please please please read this book. I urge you too. It is too amazing not to read.

Somaya's Book of the Month: September 2013

     So, I just finished reading this book. Yesterday, I was reading it nonstop. I stayed up until 1 a.m. to finish it. It was just so amazing to stop.

      This does not look like what it seems. You may think it is all princess stuff and girly, but it is not. There is nothing girly in this book. I think a boy would be interested in reading this. So again, don't judge a book by it's cover.

      The setting of this book was in England and Scotland. The time is not long ago because they had jeeps, phones and security cameras. A series of natural disasters had decimated the earth. Cut off from the rest of the world, England is a dark place. The sun rarely shines, food is scarce, and groups of criminals roam the woods, searching for prey.

      There is a sixteen year old princess named Elizabeth. People normally call her Eliza. She has an eighteen year old sister named Mary, and a brother named Jamie. She hasn't seen her father for about 6 month's because of the Seventeen Days. It is actually kind of hard to explain the Seventeen Days, you have to read it to understand it.

        Her mother was killed by a man named  Cornelius Hollister. He gave her a poisoned peach. I actually was happy it was a poisoned peach, rather than a usual apple. Anyways, her mother was pregnant with her brother Jamie. They had to do surgery to take her brother out. Some of the poison was already in Jamie, so the way he lives is by taking a rare and expensive medicine.

       A ruthless revolutionary sets out to overthrow the crown, Hollister makes the royal family his first target. Blood is shed in Buckingham Palace, and only Eliza manages to escape.

       Determined to kill the man who destroyed her family, Princess Eliza joins the enemy forces to disguise. She has nothing left to live for but revenge, until she meets someone who helps her remember how to hope and love once more. She must risk everything to ensure that she does not become The Last Princess.

        I advise everyone to read this book!!!!!! It is just so amazing. But beware, you will not be able to stop until you are done. I really hope there is a sequel to this alluring book. Before you buy it, you could read a couple chapters to see if you like it. Here is the page. Enjoy!!!!!! :D

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/sample/read/9780316185479

Nick's Quote of the Week – September 8, 2013

Note that the Quote of the Day has changed to Quote of the Week temporarily. Ivy, Somaya, and I will each share a quote on one day of the week.

• "That does it, I'm going to get you a dictionary for Christmas this year."

"Why?"
"So you can look up 'fun.' I'm not sure you know what it means."

 – Jace and Isabelle, City of Ashes by Cassandra Clare

I finally got City of Ashes!!! It's great, and this was one of the many funny quotes. Now I've got to go back and read some more! ;)

– Nick

I am in!

Hey guys,

                  My name is Somaya Tabbara. I will be a new co-author for the Booknerds Love Books (DUH!). I love to swim, play soccer and paint. But my favorite thing to do is READ and WRITE!

                  When I read, I just feel like I am in my own parallel universe. It gets me away from the real world. I have always been a great writer my entire life. So, writing blogs about books and writing quotes will be a fun thing to do.

                   A special shout out to Nick and Ivy for making me a part of this. Can't wait to work with you guys!!! :D


Sincerely,
Somaya Tabbara

Book Review: City of Glass

 I finished City of Glass  last night (:P, Nick) and because I finished the book before Nick did, I get to review it as well.

We both went to watch the City of Bones not long before and to those who have not read The Mortal Instruments series yet, I urge you to. The movie might have been very confusing for those that haven't heard of certain terms. Very much like "muggles" from Harry Potter, they use "mundane" which is a real word. I've been agitated for a while know because people are saying it's a made-up word by Cassandra Clare.

For our fellow Shadowhunters out there, I wanted to share something I found online. In a review of the first movie, someone said "master warlock Hodge" now laugh because both you and I know that it is very funny.

Back to the book, City of Glass starts out very slow-- most books. I'm not going to spoil anything. Just get the quick summary that I found online.

Summary: To save her mother’s life, Clary must travel to the City of Glass, the ancestral home of the Shadowhunters—never mind that entering the city without permission is against the Law, and breaking the Law could mean death. To make things worse, she learns that Jace does not want her there, and Simon has been thrown in prison by the Shadowhunters, who are deeply suspicious of a vampire who can withstand sunlight.

As Clary uncovers more about her family’s past, she finds an ally in mysterious Shadowhunter--that is one word--, Sebastian. With Valentine mustering the full force of his power to destroy all Shadowhunters forever, their only chance to defeat him is to fight alongside their eternal enemies. But can Downworlders and Shadowhunters put aside their hatred to work together? While Jace realizes exactly how much he’s willing to risk for Clary, can she harness her newfound powers to help save the Glass City—whatever the cost?

Love is a mortal sin and the secrets of the past prove deadly as Clary and Jace face down Valentine in the third installment of bestselling series the Mortal Instruments.

Like that blurb just told you, there are many secrets to be revealed. I guessed at some of them and -being the awesome person I am- I got the right answer. Somethings Many things that you didn't expect to happen, happen. Believe everything now for a brighter tomorrow. (I have no idea where that came from.) 

Clace (Clary and Jace) shippers out there, here's your book. Feel free to giggle and shout and throw pillows and curse all of the characters.

Sebastian is a new character to this book and I don't want to spoil anything. In an effort to do that, just tell us what you think about him in the comments. 

This book totally made me ship Simon and Isabelle as my OTP. They are like so freaking amazing together. I won't go on and make it a rant.

Valentine's case is lingering over the whole book. You know he's there with the Mortal Cup and Sword. What's left is the Mirror. And everyone knows that he's after it. 

This book was adventure packed --oh, and I forgot to mention Malec. Who doesn't ship them? Speak up, I won't kill you... yet. JK!-- and mystery-filled. It has all the right components that Cassandra Clare does. You have your fill of Shadowhunters, their weapons, and --let me make this clear-- DEMON fighting (not Downworlders). Pentagrams are made for spells and whatnot and blood is very important for rituals.

To all you Twilight people, just give this book a try. There's your triangle, a female protagonist, werewolves, and vampire. 

I'll be gone now! :) (That's a freaky smiley face...)

Signed,

Ivy

Quote of the Week

Nick and I have decided from next week on, we won't have daily quotes but rather Quote of the Week.

I'll post mine every Saturday and Nick, Sunday. 

We'll be really busy starting this month to sometime around mid-October. Please bear with us. Major testing will be going on for both of us and I have to go to take extra classes. 

We hope that you understand, put other posts should be going on as usual. 

Signed,

Ivy

Ivy's Quote of the Week- September 7, 2013

"I am a man," he told her, "and men do not consume pink beverages. Get thee gone, woman, and bring me something brown."

-Jace Wayland, City of Glass, written by Cassandra Clare 

So I won't tell you when or where that quote happened. It was a party. Jace was talking to Isabelle who was offering a "fuchsia" colored drink.

Signed,
Ivy

Quote of the Day – September 6, 2013

• "Just because we don't understand doesn't mean that the explanation doesn't exist."

 – A Wrinkle in Time by Madeline L'Engle

People make this mistake far too much, IMO.

– Nick

Coldplay: "Atlas"

Just today, Coldplay released their song for Catching Fire the book following The Hunger Games. Look at the picture of what we saw before the world premiere of the song.



I'll have the video for "Atlas" right here. Tell me what you think!

If the video didn't work for you, copy the link below and paste it onto the search bar.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=Lh3TokLzzmw

The lyric video had a theme with Greek mythology and words followed popped up as a string pulled you though the video.

If you didn't notice it, the mockingjay appeared at around 2:12 of the video. It was easy to miss if you don't remember what it looked like. It was the same one as that of the pin -that Madge gave in the book or Greasy Sae in the movie- just with it's neck elongated like an arrow.

I don't think there was much of an obvious chorus in this song and I kinda missed that, but who said everything had to be a pop song!

You might need to strain your ears a little bit, but you'll hear the singing from Coldplay.

I personally didn't like it, but just tell me what you thought about it, by commenting.

Signed,
Ivy

P.S. Catching Fire  will be released in the theatres on November 22nd. I think it is a worldwide release, but if it isn't that's the US date.

Quote of the Day- September 5, 2013

"'Clary,' Jace said again. 'You know: short, redheaded, bad temper.'"
-Jace Wayland (for the sake of no spoilers), City of Glass,  written by Cassandra Clare

Well, I'll leave you with the rest of the day.

Signed,
Ivy

Book Review: Hex Hall

Two book reviews in a row. Yep, that's a major change, but I was reading today, so no matter.

I started reading Hex Hall  after I finished The Fame Game  last night and that got me the whole afternoon. I'm at the library and picked up Starstruck,  the second book in the trilogy.


  Hex Hall  was a superb book. It followed Sophie Mercer, who I did a Quote of the Day about earlier as she gets herself sent to Hecate Hall a place for witches, warlocks, faeries, and shapeshifters.

As always, the summary of the book first.

Summary: Three years ago, Sophie Mercer discovered that she was a witch. It's gotten her into a few scrapes. Her non-gifted mother has been as supportive as possible, consulting Sophie's estranged father--an elusive European warlock--only when necessary. But when Sophie attracts too much human attention for a prom-night spell gone horribly wrong, it's her punishment to be exiled to Hex Hall, an isolated reform school for wayward Prodigium, a.k.a. witches, faeries, and shapeshifters.

By the end of her first day among fellow freak-teens, Sophie has quite a scorecard: three powerful enemies who look like supermodels, a futile crush on a gorgeous warlock, a creepy tagalong ghost, and a new roommate who happens to be the most hated person and only vampire student on campus. Worse, Sophie soon learns that a mysterious predator has been attacking students, and her only friend is the number-one suspect.

As a series of blood-curdling mysteries starts to converge, Sophie prepares for the biggest threat of all: an ancient secret society determined to destroy all Prodigium, especially her.

So as I was browsing for the summary of the first book, I accidently found the summary for the overall series and seriously, Wikipedia messes with your brain. Too many spoilers are never good when you haven't gotten to the whole series. 

Let's start with the prom thing that got Sophie to Hex Hall in the first place. Side note: never try to help someone with a love spell because they'll just point out that you're a witch/ warlock in the end.  I think it was seriously cliché thing where the girl that was supposed to be "helped" decided that it was great to blame the girl that wanted to do a simple love spell to help her with the tears.

Now, that can get someone landed into a place for "kids with problems" until they reach 18.

I personally think this book had enough drama and mystery which is solved to create an anticipating mood for the entire book. It's also great to find out which characters aren't who they actually seem to be.

The book itself had what every normal -well, not every normal  person because this is paranormal teen life- person feels. 

The surprise is surprises are crazy near the end of the story. It's like no one thought it would happen except Rachel Hawkins puts you through the suspense. Now, I won't go into spoilers so I'll just think generally.

Hex Hall  had me head over heels in love with it. The adventure and sci-fi is what makes everything great. Look, everything says that there are magical creatures and magic itself all around Sophie. The girl herself is a witch with black magic. Her roommate is a vampire, who is even more of a monstrous creature than the werewolf. Oh, heads up! Jenna Talbot isn't into guys (she's the vamp).

Sophie develops a crush on Archer Cross (seriously, that name!) Who didn't see that coming though? The guy that saves her from the werewolf on her first day on campus is Archer. They get detention together in the cellar. I'm just stating facts, but you get where I'm going with this right? I'll take that as a yes. 

Moving on, she gets asked to join a coven of girls that use black magic. That's your clique of hateful girls. So there you get the b*tches too for the lack of better words.

The rest of the almost-murders will be covered when you read the book. I'm not going to give anything away.

Signed,Iz

Quote of the Day- September 4, 2013

"A werewolf./ No matter how many times you read about werewolves, seeing one right in front of you is a whole new experience."

-Sophie Mercer, Hex Hall written by Rachel Hawkins

I had trouble deciding this morning what quotes I wanted to use because I wrote down a few quotes that could've worked pretty well. In the end I chose this one.

The werewolf quote was a bit humorous and because we're all readers on this site, I decided it'd be nice.

So in this scene here, Sophie is new to Hecate Hall and she's walking on school ground as a first-year and she sees the werewolf. Yes, the werewolf is a student.

Signed,
Ivy

Book Review: The Fame Game

I spent most of my day finishing this book, and it's The Fame Game  by Lauren Conrad. Yes, for you fashionista readers (I hardly think that would be humanly possible... Shudder, it just doesn't happen) the designer and author of L.A. Candy  and several fashion books. I keep tags on different books, even if I won't read them.


I had picked this book up at the library before, read a chapter and almost-a-half before the book was headed back to the library.

So this summer instead of a shopping spree, I had a book spree at the library because I just decided I need more books in my life.

As always, before I start the review, the overall.

Summary: In Hollywood, fame can be found on every corner and behind any door. You just have to know where to look for it. Nineteen-year-old Madison Parker made a name for herself as best frenemy of nice-girl-next-door Jane Roberts on the hot reality show L.A. Candy. Now Madison's ready for her turn in the spotlight and she'll stop at nothing to get it. Sure, she's the star of a new show, but with backstabbing friends and suspicious family members trying to bring her down, Madison has her work cut out for her. Plus, there's a new nice girl in "reality" town—aspiring actress Carmen Price, the daughter of Hollywood royalty—and she's a lot more experienced at playing the fame game... When the camera's start rolling, whose star will shine brighter?

Filled with characters both familiar and new, Lauren Conrad's series about the highs and lows of being famous delivers Hollywood gossip and drama at every turn.

This book series is an accompaniment after L.A. Candy. But, I haven't read L.A. Candy yet and I was digging for this Los Angeles crap called "show biz". I'm all the way in New York so it's kinda a polar opposite.

The Fame Game was a snarky and chic insider on all-things-Hollywood. You get the starlets' point of views in different ways than the norm. Storytelling is as crazy as ever. With your real-life curses.

It zooms in on Madison Parker the most with her confusing family life, Carmen Price with her family of superstars and Kate Hayes, the girl that no one knows, at least not yet. 

There are drama, girls, and "reality" TV. With the new TV show to film, four girls facing the cameras in the city of flashing lights and where names are made, it's how you choose to walk up to the fame or don't. 

I think that the end of the book just makes everyone want to read the next book. The problems are fixed, but the real underlying ones aren't. That's what makes us one of the many readers for gossip magazines. It keeps us hooked on the lives of many people.

SPOILERS!

My favorite character in this story was the down-to-earth person that you just feel relatable to. Kate Hayes, the Youtube star with a viral video. She starts to fit in with the city and cameras are done filming, she stumbles upon Luke Kelly, a star trying to make it big. I think that it was totally well. Paparazzi gets in the way with everything doesn't it? The same went for this. Publicists only want the best for their client and that means the girl that Luke was dating couldn't be Kate. 

END OF SPOILER 

I'm going to end it at that. If you decide to read the book, it's a trilogy. You're going to have to read all of them.

Signed,

Ivy

Quote of the day - September 3, 2013

"Mr and Mrs Dursley, of number four, Privet Drive, were proud to say that they were perfectly normal, thank you very much."

- Harry Potter and the Philospoher's Stone by J.K. Rowling

This is the opening line to the Harry Potter series (excluding the prologue). This quote basically explains the Dursleys--they are most certainly not normal, but they make sure everyone thinks they are 100% normal. It sets up the fact that entire series is decidedly not normal.

- Nick

Dates to Remember

So the dates to remember are at the bottom of the blog page making it easier for everyone to know, when the heck is what.

My birthday's in the fall too! Happy me. Anyways, I'll still be posting then so, yeah.

I guess that's all that I have to say.

Bye!

Signed,
Iz

Quote of the Day- September 2, 2013

Alec looked at her and shook his head. "How do you manage never to get mud on you?"

Isabelle struggled philosophically. "I'm pure at heart. It repels the dirt."

-The City of Ashes, written by Cassandra Clare

There's not much to say. Just enjoy the humor and then move on with your life.

Signed,
Ivy

What's to Come on the Blog: Fall 2013

During the upcoming months on this blog… you will all get a letter from Hogwarts and become wizarding Divergent Avian-American demigod Shadowhunters. Well, probably not. But we can still hope, right?

You might see a few changes in this blog's posting schedule in the fall, mostly because we don't have a schedule Ivy and I have school starting September 9th. Hi, it's Ivy popping up randomly. I might have to get blog posts done a bit after 6 sometimes. Cram school, I hate you! Ah, school. You draw me in with curiosity about what teacher I'm going to get, make me think that you're not that bad after all, and then slam me with essays and reports and tests. But never mind that. Thanks to school, the daily Quote of the Day posts will be at about 3 p.m. EST (GMT-5) every day, and all of our other posts will be after that. Book reviews will be unaffected, perhaps more frequent, as the only thing they let us do at school is read.

Here's a list of some new things that we'll be introducing this fall:

1. Book of the Month

On the 1st of every month, Ivy and I will be showcasing a little-known book that we feel deserves a lot more attention than it gets. Look for Ivy's first one on September 1st, and mine will come on the 2nd.

2. Dates to Remember

Also on September 1st, I'll be publishing a list of dates that will affect you as a booknerd. When books come out, when movies based on books come out, author birthdays, etc. will be listed.

I think that's it! Look for these features to come out, and come back in late November for a Winter 2014 list (I have something big planned :D ).

 – Nick 

Nick's Book of the Month – September 2013

My Book of the Month for September 2013 is Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein.

This is the kind of book you can't write a summary for, or it'll just be spoiler after spoiler. So here's the blurb:

"Oct. 11th, 1943–A British spy plane crashes in Nazi-occupied France. Its pilot and passenger are best friends. One of the girls has a chance at survival. The other has lost the game before it's barely begun.

When "Verity" is arrested by the Gestapo, she's sure she doesn't stand a chance. As a secret agent captured in enemy territory, she's living a spy's worst nightmare. Her Nazi interrogators give her a simple choice: reveal her mission or face a grisly execution.

As she intricately weaves her confession, Verity uncovers her past, how she became friends with the pilot Maddie, and why she left Maddie in the wrecked fuselage of their plane. On each new scrap of paper, Verity battles for her life, confronting her views on courage, failure and her desperate hope to make it home. But will trading her secrets be enough to save her from the enemy?

A Michael L. Printz Award Honor book that was called "a fiendishly-plotted mind game of a novel" in The New York Times, Code Name Verity is a visceral read of danger, resolve, and survival that shows just how far true friends will go to save each other."

There is one word that adequately sums up this book: MIND-BLOWING.

It's just so awesome. It pulls you in and doesn't let you go. Plot twist after plot twist, it never gets old! I can't tell you more without spoilers, I just have to tell you to READ THIS BOOK!! READ IT LIKE YOUR LIFE DEPENDS ON IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

It has a companion book Rose Under Fire, which those lucky people in the UK got already in June. It comes out in the US on September 10 (8 days!!!) OMG I can't wait! :D

– Nick

Quote of the Day – September 1, 2013

• "Sometimes you read a book and it fills you with this weird evangelical zeal and you become convinced that the shattered world will never be put back together unless and until all living humans read that book."

 – Hazel Grace Lancaster, The Fault in Our Stars by John Green

I have felt this a number of times, including with the book that this quote came from!! :)

– Nick

Dates to Remember – Fall 2013

This is a list of dates that you, as a booknerd, should know.

from September 2, 2013 to December 1, 2013

On this blog:

September 2 – My Book of the Months start; it'll be every 2nd of the month (Ivy's will be on the 1st

September 9 – Ivy and I go back to school
November 11- Ivy's Birthday! 

December 1 – You get this list again for the winter! ;)

Books:

September 3 – Release of The 100 by Kass Morgan (They're also making a TV series based on this book)

September 10 – Release of Rose Under Fire by Elizabeth Wein (I'll tell you more about that tomorrow in my BotM)

October 7 – Release of Confessions: The Private School Murders by James Patterson, the second book in the Confessions of a Murder Suspect series

October 8 – Release of House of Hades by Rick Riordan, the fourth book in the Heroes of Olympus series

October 8 – Release of The Extra by Kathryn Lasky

October 8 – Release of The Eye of Minds by James Dashner, the first book in the Morality Doctrine series

October 22 – Release of Allegiant by Veronica Roth, the third and final book in the Divergent series

November 5 – Release of The Royal Ranger by John Flanagan, the eleventh and final book of the Ranger's Apprentice series

November 5 – Release of Champion, the third book in the Legend series

December 31, the year 999999999999999 – When my library finally gets me City of Ashes 

Movies:

September 23 – Production begins on The Mortal Instruments: City of Ashes

November 1 – Release of Ender's Game

November 15 – Release of The Book Thief

November 22 – Release of The Hunger Games: Catching Fire

Author's birthdays:

October 19 – Phillip Pullman

November 2 – Ally Condie

November 8 – Lauren Oliver

November 12 – Richelle Mead

November 14 – Margaret Stohl

November 18 – Maggie Stiefvater

November 26 – James Dashner

November 29 – C.S. Lewis

November 29 – Madeline L'Engle

Character's birthdays:

September 19 – Hermione Granger, Harry Potter

September 22 – Bilbo and Frodo Baggins, Lord of the Rings

September 25 – Garrick Ollivander, Harry Potter

September 26 – Quirinus Quirrel, Harry Potter

September 29 – Hazel Grace Lancaster, The Fault in Our Stars

October 14 – Minerva McGonagall, Harry Potter

October 17 – Filius Flitwick, Harry Potter

October 20 – Dairine Callahan, Young Wizards

October 30 – Molly Weasley, Harry Potter

November 29 – Bill Weasley, Harry Potter

Phew, that's a lot of November author's birthdays. Eight, actually, more than any other month by far.

Remember these dates!

– Nick

Ivy's Book of the Month: September

I read this book about two weeks back. I haven't taken a flashlight and stayed up really late reading for a while. This book had made me do that.

I literally grabbed a flashlight and kept flipping pages until I was done with the book.

It's a light read with 272 pages.

The summary first, then I'll go onto why I chose this book.

Summary: Meet Josephine Foster, or Zo Jo as she’s called in the biz. The best pint-sized photographer of them all, Jo doesn’t mind doing what it takes to get that perfect shot, until she’s sent on an undercover assignment to shoot Ned Hartnett—teen superstar and the only celebrity who’s ever been kind to her—at an exclusive rehabilitation retreat in Boston. The money will be enough to pay for Jo’s dream: real photography classes, and maybe even quitting her paparazzi gig for good. Everyone wants to know what Ned’s in for. But Jo certainly doesn’t know what she’s in for: falling in love with Ned was never supposed to be part of her assignment.

This was very dramatic when I got to Jo going to the retreat. There were so many rules that she was breaking as she took pictures. She was guilty about everything but the job was weighing so many things between her conscience and the money that was going to take her out of being a paparazzo.

She came across a secret later on that will shock her and the reader at the same time. 

This book was something I just pulled of the shelf at the library and I loved the cover. You kinda figured out at the same time that they were not talking about shooting stars in outer space, but your celebrities.

This almost-300-page book is cute in a way that it isn't overly mixed with too much girliness because paparazzi in L.A. sure is a tough job.